http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/japan/2976699/Tokyo-city-guide-Introduction-and-basics.html

1. Mori Arts Centre, Roppongi

The first quintessential Tokyo experience to tick off the list is finding a perfect view. Not only is Mori Tower home to some of the country's best modern art exhibitions (past shows range from Bill Viola to Africa Remix), it is also a good spot to take in a postcard-perfect vista over a seemingly endless cityscape. Tokyo City View, its 52nd floor observation area, offers 360-degree birds-eye views from a 250-metre height.

Mori Arts Centre49th-53rd Floor, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku0081 36406 6100www.moriartscenter.org

Mori Art Centre: open daily, Wed-Mon, 10am-10pm, Tues, 10am-5pm.Entry fees vary from exhibition to exhibition, but expect to pay around Y1,500 (£ 7.93)

Tokyo City View: open daily, Sun-Thurs, 10am-11pm and Fri-Sat, 10am until 1am. Admission Y1,500 ( £7.93)

2. Ueno Park

Home to an epic number of shrines and temples, museums and galleries, Ueno Park is the perfect place for dipping a toe into Japanese culture. Attractions range from the Tokyo National Museum to the Toshogu Shrine via the lotus-filled Shinobazu Pond – alongside first-rate people watching opportunities. As the home of more than 1,000 cherry blossom trees, the park is a prime springtime sakura-watching spot for Tokyoites as well as visitors.

Ueno ParkUeno station on the Ginza and Hibiya Subway lines as well as the JR Yamanote, Joban and Keihin Tohoku lines Ueno Koen (park) is open dawn to dusk, free admission.

Tokyo National Museum (www.tnm.go.jp): open Tues-Sunday, 9.30am to 5pm. Admission Y600 (£3.17)

3. Tsukiji Fish Market

An early morning fish market may not sound like the most conventional of tourist attractions but Tsukiji Fish Market has become an unlikely draw for visitors. With its endless rows of frequently unidentifiable maritime species, bustling workers and a rowdy pre-dawn tuna auction, it is the perfect antidote for the jet-lagged. Its highlight is

undoubtedly tucking into the freshest sushi breakfast possible in one of the venues that cling to the edges of the market.

Tsukiji Fish MarketTsukijishijo station on the Oedo line or Tsukiji station on the Hibiya line5am-10am (aim to get there before 6,30am). Closed Sundays and second and fourth Wednesday every monthFree admission.

4. Omotesando

Take a stroll along the broad tree-lined Omotesando boulevard for a spot of window-shopping and a bite-sized summary of Japanese modern architecture. It is along this street that a growing number of international fashion houses have commissioned Japan's most cutting edge architects to create flagship stores – from Toyo Ito's leaf motif Tod's store to the sleek Louis Vuitton by Jun Aoki.

Omotesando station on the Chiyoda, Ginza and Hanzomon lines, or Meiji Jingumae station on the Chiyoda line

5. Imperial Palace East Gardens

Explore the wide lawns, castle ruins and guardhouses that span Kokyo Higashi Gyoen, the walled East Gardens of the Emperor's official residence. Once the site of Edo Castle, the seat of the Tokugawa shogun, visitors today can take a peek at Nijubashi, the two bridges that mark the entrance to the inner palace grounds. The palace itself is open to the public only on January 2 and the Emperor's birthday on 22 December.

East GardensOtemachi station on Marunouchi, Tozai, Chiyoda, Hanzomon, Toei Mita lines or Takebashi station on Tozai lineTues-Thur and Sat-Sun 9am-4.30pm (March-Oct); 9am-3.30pm (Nov-Feb); closed Mon and Fri year-round.Free admission.

Tokyo, about 11 hours' flying time from London and 10 hours from Sydney, is a handy, if frequently overlooked, stopover destination. With 12 million people crammed into mile after mile of sprawling urban landscape, it may be one of the most densely populated cities on the planet, but it is also dotted with pockets of serenity. Even on a 24-hour visit you can have wildly different experiences of the city, depending on your energy level.

Many visitors choose to tumble headfirst into the fast-paced maelstrom of modern Tokyo, experiencing a whirlwind of galleries, restaurants, bars and shops. Those who prefer a slower tempo can tiptoe into a picturesque world of quiet temple-lined lanes, green parks and tiny local restaurants lurking behind the skyscrapers. Between neon-filled Roppongi and the city's serene gardens, you should find a place to match your mood.

Wired & Tired Tours (1 day)

Wired

Morning

There is only one place to start the day: Tsukiji fish market. Hundreds of traders set up stalls displaying an encyclopedic selection of maritime creatures - some dead, some alive, and many that would not look out of place in a horror film.

Arrive between 6am and 7am to witness the market at the peak of its activity; don't forget to pick up a can of hot coffee from one of the vending machines by the entrance.

Round off the experience by tucking into a breakfast feast of the freshest sushi in the city at one of the tiny restaurants on the edges of the market.

As the sun rises, go to Akihabara, also known as Electric Town, home to the world's highest density of electronic stores. At one of the vast multi-storey shops, such as Laox (1-2-9 Soto Kanda, Chiyoda-ku), you can pick up the latest camera or look at Japan's more unexpected technological creations - from floor-sweeping robots to singing lavatories.

Those searching for a taste of traditional Japan should contact H.I.S Experience (www.j-experience.com) and work up an appetite while being taught the basics in oriental martial arts - under the tutelage of a samurai master (of Kill Bill fame), ninja warrior or karate teacher. You can also learn a bit about sushi, with a leading chef, calligraphy, traditional dance, or spend a morning in a sumo stable marvelling at these man mountains in action.

Lunch Jump on to the JR Yamanote line and head anti-clockwise to Shinjuku, the world's busiest train station. Some of the best-value restaurants in Tokyo are located at the top of department stores. Among them is Kitchen Shunju (3-38-1 Shinjuku), on the eighth floor of Lumine Est, above the station's east exit. Dim lighting, stylish décor and an imaginative mixture of ingredients all make for a feast of modern Japanese cuisine.

After lunch, taking care not to spend too much time getting lost - a hazard of visiting Shinjuku station - make for Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No1 (2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku), a gleaming granite-and-steel tower complex created by the architect Kenzo Tange.

Take an ear-popping 55-second lift journey to the 45th floor of the south observatory to take in the 360-degree views of the seemingly endless urban sprawl that is Tokyo. Clear days will yield stunning views of snow-capped Mount Fuji in the distance.

Come back down to earth and take a 10-minute stroll through Shinjuku Central Park to Wako Works of Art (3-18-2 Nishi-Shinjuku), a gallery exhibiting modern art from around the world.

Evening

For an explosive dinner to match your energy levels, go to the 38th-floor Tapas Molecular bar at the Mandarin Oriental (2-1-1 Nihonbashi-Muromachi) at 6pm for the first of its twice-nightly performances of culinary alchemy.

Once you are seated at the bar, a string of more than 30 bite-sized courses - all as unexpected as they are delicious - will be rustled up before your eyes. Prepare to breathe dragon-like fumes from your nose and suck on a mystery miracle bean that plays havoc with your tastebuds.

For after-hours entertainment, head for the 9.30pm show at the Blue Note Tokyo in Aoyama, the city's most spacious jazz club, where an evening of quality live music ranging from world to soul as well as jazz awaits you.

Most mortals will be fading by this stage. Insomniacs and those with stamina of steel, however, should head to Roppongi, which has a string of brash bars and clubs where partying until after sunrise is de rigueur. Try Bar Matrix (Mizobuchi Building B1F, 3-13-16 Roppongi) or Yellow (Cesaurus Nishi-Abazu Building B1F-B2-F, 1-10-11, Nishi-Azabu).

Tired

Morning

Start the day with a gentle stroll along tree-lined Omotesando, home to the city's most beautifully designed fashion stores: from the gleaming Dior building, designed by Jun Aoki, to Tod's, by Toyo Ito, with its abstract tree motif.

Wander off the main street into any of the lanes either side of Omotesando to find the boutiques and cafés that draw hip young crowds. Stop to people-watch over a coffee, and then head to Omotesando station to take the Ginza Line north for a journey back in time to Asakusa.

Occupying centre stage of this atmospheric area with its old Tokyo atmosphere is the grand Buddhist temple Asakusa Kannon-do, also known as Senso-ji. Traditional sweets, trinkets and Edo-era handicrafts are on sale along Nakamise Dori, a market that leads to the temple entrance. Here you can find out your fortune by selecting a long wooden stick from a container; the number written on it augurs good or ill fortune. If the news isn't good, no problem: simply tie the piece of paper to one of the stringed racks and the wind will reportedly work its magic and reverse any ill omen.

Wander past low-rise wooden houses and kimono shops towards nearby Kappabashi Dori. This quaint street is home to a row of shops making waxwork models of every conceivable item of food or drink for restaurateurs to display front of house.

Lunch Rather than wrestle with Tokyo's transport system - however efficient it may be - eat lunch like a local in Asakusa. For an authentic meal, slip off your shoes at the plant-filled entrance of Sometaro (2-2-2 Nishi Asakusa) and slip on to a cushion at a low table on tatami mat flooring. You will have to muster up the energy to cook the meal yourself: the cuisine is okonoymaki, which involves cooking a batter mixture of seafood, meat or vegetables on a hot plate built into the tables, thankfully with help at hand for confused foreign visitors. The end result, mouth-melting and piping hot Japanese-style omelettes, repays the effort.

After lunch, hop on to the Ginza line and head back three stops to Ueno. Take an afternoon stroll around Ueno Park, a calming green haven of temples, fountains and museums.

Those with yet more stamina may wish to visit the Peninsula Hotel in Marunouchi (1-8-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku), home to an afternoon tea spread that is steadily acquiring cult status among Tokyoites. Enjoy a pot of Darjeeling and scones as a piano tinkles in the background. Those with a final remnant of energy should sample the delights of the Japanese tea ceremony. Go to the Choshoan Tea Room at the stylishly modernist Hotel Okura (2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato-ku) to gain insight into the rituals that surround Japanese tea drinking under the tutelage of the hotel's tea masters.

Evening

A lack of energy needn't mean depriving yourself of a top culinary experience. For a low-key dinner of exceptional quality, sit at one of only 10 stools that line the counter at the basement restaurant Sushi Mizutani in Ginza (Seiwa Silver Building B1F). The diminutive set-up belies the lofty level of cuisine: the restaurant was one of eight in the city to receive three Michelin stars last month. After a light but superb sushi meal, head back to your hotel for a nightcap and an early night.

Essentials

Getting there

Return flights between London and Sydney with stopovers in Tokyo are available from JAL (0845 7747 700, www.uk.jal.com; from £735) and British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com; from £808), in partnership with Qantas.

Where to stay

Four Seasons Hotel at Chinzan-So (0081 3 3943 2222, www.fourseasons.com/tokyo). To escape urban life, head north to Chinzan-So. This luxurious retreat set in 17 acres of

gardens with lantern-lit paths, historic shrines and their own firefly population. Complementing the relaxed setting is the chic Yu spa, offering first-rate treatments. Doubles from £257, room only.

Grand Hyatt (0081 3 4333 1234, www.grandhyatttokyo.com). As vast and imposing as it is stylish, the Grand Hyatt is located in the heart of Roppongi Hills, ideal for guests planning a whirlwind of shopping, partying, eating and gallery-visiting. Doubles from £283, room only.

Peninsula Hotel (00800 2828 3888, http://tokyo.peninsula.com). The latest jewel in the city's crown of top hotels swung open its doors in September. Designed to resemble a lantern, the glowing 24-storey tower is a tasteful haven overlooking the Imperial Palace Gardens. Doubles from £309, room only.

Where to eat

Hamadaya (0081 3 3661 5940, www.hamadaya.info). This restaurant with three Michelin stars serves one of the city's finest kaiseki feasts - the equivalent of Japanese haute cuisine. Housed in a former geisha house, it has 11 private dining rooms adorned with seasonal décor to provide the perfect setting for course after course of beautifully presented traditional delicacies. Dinner menu from £133.

Beige (0081 3 5159 5500, www.beige-tokyo.com). The union of Chanel and Alain Ducasse was always going to produce eye-catching results. Perched on the 10th floor of the Chanel Building in Ginza - decorated, of course, in a tastefully chic shade of beige - this restaurant serves contemporary French cuisine using Japanese ingredients. Dinner menu from £83.

Kyubey (0081 3 3571 6523, www.kyubey.jp). This traditional family-run restaurant, housed in an award-winning contemporary building in Ginza, has acquired legendary status in Tokyo for preparing the freshest of sushi. Dinner menu from £51.